Exclusive survey reveals what nursing students really think

Most nursing students are concerned about cutbacks in their
courses due to restructuring of the nursing programme, a Massive survey has
found.

Students don’t like the shift of
their courses online, and only a third like the chop to their clinical hours.

The survey carried out by Massive
Magazine this month was to gauge feelings amongst students about changes to the
school, which have seen many staff leave and students voicing their concerns in
national media (see Just how many staff are
left on the Wellington campus).

Massive Magazine surveyed nursing
students from Massey’s Wellington and Albany campuses, using three Facebook
pages, seen by 300 nursing students.

Of the 50 respondents, 66 per
cent said they didn’t support a shift of certain courses offered by Massey’s
School of Nursing to online. Fourteen per cent said they supported a shift and
20 per cent said they weren’t sure.

When thinking about online
courses, 92 per cent of those surveyed said they got more value out of
face-to-face learning with a teacher, while just four per cent said they got
more value out of an online course.

Meanwhile, 38 per cent said they
agreed with a reduction in the number of clinical hours offered, 34 per cent
said they disagreed and 28 per cent said they weren’t sure.

“From the survey, it is clear students
do not want online courses even though those making the changes argue it is
what students want.

“I think students need to be
heard and their wishes finally respected by those in control of the nursing
course.”

Hammond says she respects and
entirely agrees that every student learns differently.

“But by only having online
options it narrows the learning opportunities for a wider range of individuals,”
she says.

“The online delivery is from my
experience the same as the already existing online supplementary information
offered with courses taught by lecturers. So, they are simply removing an
additional and rich resource of information and support, our lecturers.”

Hammond says she intends to share
information uncovered by the survey at the next College of Health board meeting
she attends.

“I will also relay it during our
end of semester forum to provide well rounded feedback and critique to the nursing
school management team.

“Changes are always tricky to
implement but changes also need to be for the better and enrich not diminish
student learning.”

Acting Head of the School of
Nursing, Annette Huntington, says in terms of the data from the survey, and considering
the number who responded, she has some concerns that perhaps staff could have
provided more information for the students in relation to the issues.

“To address this, I will hold a
forum in Wellington for all students in the Bachelor of Nursing programme, so
they can discuss these issues with me directly and I can respond to their
concerns.

“If the students on the other
campuses would also like to have this engagement I am very willing to organise
such events.”

She says she wants to ensure
students feel confident in the programme Massey offers as she thinks students
are at the heart of the school.

“Students are at the heart of the
enterprise… I think that is so important for the students not to feel that
their quality of learning has been in anyway disrupted,” Huntington says.

“The whole focus for me coming
back into this position was the future and to ensure that the students were
able to confidently undertake their study and be successful, because this
school has been one of the top performing schools in New Zealand on just about
every indicator,” says Huntington.

Just how many staff are left on the Wellington campus?

Last year Massive Magazine reported that eight of 11 School of Nursing staff
on the Wellington campus were set to leave by June 2018.

But getting a clear idea of
exactly how many actually have gone, not just in Wellington, but at Albany and
Manawatu, turns out not to be so straightforward.

Earlier this year, Massey Vice
Chancellor Jan Thomas told Radio New Zealand that those numbers were not
accurate.

“There are between three and
four, yet to be confirmed on the fourth individuals that the university is
talking to about voluntary retirement at the moment,”

But, in an interview with Massive Magazine this month, Acting Head
of the School of Nursing, Annette Huntington, confirmed that eight full time
academic staff had left the capital’s campus.

Huntington said it was difficult
to answer exactly how many had left.

“It’s a bit tricky because we
have a lot of contract clinical teachers,” she said.

“When our students go out into
practice we employ contract clinical teachers. So, when you pull data, they all
leave at the end of the year, so they are seen as resignations.”